Doorknob and tubular spindle assembly



Nov. 24, 1953 CERF, JR 2,660,466

DOORKNOB AND TUBULAR SPINDLEI ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 8, 1952 "l!II.'I/ 2"II4 2 2 l3 l4 I8 20 INVENTOR ROBERT C. CERF JR. BY W 7; f

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 24, 1 953 OQRKNOB AND TUBULABSPINDLE ASSEMBLY 'Itobert G. Gerf, J r., Los Angelcs, Calif., assignor to 'Hollymade Hardware iManufac turing Company, Los Angeles, 'Calif a corporation 1)! California Appliea tionugust 8, 1952.,fSeria1No. 303,238

GIaims. 1

is n e on r lates to a 1. 9? knoba 'd b larspindle assembly.

The p i c a obiect of t inve tion (i o provide .a door knob and tubular spindle ss mbly with a spring keeper which holds the knob removably secured to the spindle. This and other objects are obtained by my invention which will be understood from the following description, ref ereneessbeing made to the {accompanying drawing in which:

Figure '1 is a side elevational view partly in section showing a preferred assembly of knob and tubular spindle with spring keeper in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 a sectional view taken on the line "2--2 of Figure -1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the knob;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the spindle;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the spring and attached keeper;

Figure '7 is a fragmentary perspective view of an alternative form of the knob; and

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Figure '7.

Referring to the drawings, my invention consists of a door knob II having the usual. oblate spheroid end portion l2, and the tubular axial neck I3 attached or integral therewith. The neck I3 is provided with a keeper opening I5 which is positioned to receive the keeper I6 which protrudes through a similar spindle opening I! in the spindle I8. The knob neck I3 is also preferably provided with an aligning boss I4 which may be an indentation pressed inwardly in the sleeve I3, as shown being in a position diametrically opposite the spindle opening IT. The spindle I8 which is cylindrical, is provided with a slot I9 extending longitudinally of the spindle. This slot is generally formed between the nontouching contiguous edges of the metal sheet from which the tubular spindle is formed. The spindle may, however, be a closed tubular body having a cut slot extending from the knob end for a sufficient distance to provide the necessary alignment of the spindle and its attached keeper with the keeper opening I5 of theknob I I. The spindle I8 may also be provided with roll-backs 2| for operating a retractor or the like.

The keeper IS, a short tabular member shown particularly in Figure 6, isattached, as by riveting, to a ribbon spring 23 formed as a partial ring to fit within the tubular spindle I8, the ring being open opposite the keeper I 6 and havin 2 turned out ends 22 which are spaced apart and attached to slidingly fit in the spring openings 2t in the spindle. The openings 24 are generally opposite the spindle keeper hole I7, the spring openings 24 being elongated peripherally in order "to permit movement of the turned out ends '22 of the spring 23 when the keeper 'I6is pressed inwardly (radially) to release the keeper from the opening I5 in the neck I3 of theknob. The peripheral "length of the openingszd is selected so that the keeper It cannot be pressed "inwardly beyond the inner wall of the spindle, being stopped by the turned out ends '22 abutting the slot ends.

"In the alternative form of my invention shown in Figures"? and 8, a piloting notch 25 'is-provided in the edge of the neck ISA of the knob II-A-in alignment with the neck keeper opening .15, this notch being tapered from the edge toward said opening. When the knob HA is placed on the spindle I8 the alignment boss I4 is positioned to engage the slot I9 in the spindle and the knob is pushed onto the spindle until the keeper reaches the pilot notch 25. Further pushing of the knob onto the spindle, especially if accelerated by an impact against the knob, causes the depression of the keeper as it enters the tapered pilot notch 25, and the keeper then presses into and engages the neck keeper opening I5. No tools are required to put the knob in place on the spindle.

The advantages of my knob and spindle assembly with spring keeper will be apparent from the above description. The spring openings 24 and the keeper opening IT in the spindle act together with the keeper and the spring to hold these permanently in place inside the spindle. The elongated spring end openings 24 in the spindle hold the turned out ends 22 of the ring spring 23 and allow them to move freely but always against the compressed spring to which is attached the keeper I6. The spring openings prevent displacement of the keeper and its spring if the keeper should be pressed in below the inner periphery. The knob neck is rigidly secured to the spindle by the keeper in the coinciding holes so that the knob turns the spindle when the keeper is in place. The indented aligning boss I4 of the knob neck aligns the spindle in place for the keeper to engage the keeper opening I4 in the neck of the knob. In the alternative form the pilot notch guides the keeper into the neck keeper opening, thus avoiding the use of tools to assemble the knob on the spindle. The device is simple to manufacture and inexpensive, and gives a positive keying of the knob to the spindle.

I claim:

1. A door knob and tubular spindle assembly comprising a knob having a neck adapted to slidably fit over a tubular spindle, said neck being provided with a neck keeper opening; a tubular spindlehaving a keeper opening disposed to coincide withsaid neck keeper opening; a keeper protruding through said spindle keeper opening, said keeper being attached to and pressed outwardly by an open ring spring disposed peripherally inside said spindle, and means to limit the closing movement of the ends of said open ring spring.

2. A door knob and tubular spindle assembly comprising a knob having a neck adapted to slidably fit over a tubular spindle, said neck being provided with a neck keeper opening; a tubular spindle having a keeper opening disposed to coincide with said neck keeper opening; a keeper protruding through said spindle keeper opening, said keeper being pressed outwardly by an open ring spring disposed peripherally inside said spindle, the ends of said ring spring being bent outwardly; said spindle having elongated peripheral slots for said turned-out ends of said ring spring whereby said ends may move in said slots when said keeper is pressed radially, and means in said spindle to limit the closing movement of said ring spring.

3. A door knob and tubular spindle assembly comprising a knob having a neck adapted to slidably fit over a tubular spindle, said neck being provided with a neck keeper opening; a tubular spindle having a keeper opening disposed to coincide with said neck keeper opening; a keeper protruding through said spindle keeper opening, said keeper being pressed outwardly by an open ring spring disposed peripherally inside said spindle, the ends of said ring spring being bent outwardly; said spindle having elongated peripheral slots for said turned-out ends of said ring spring; and means on said spindle and on said knob neck for aligning the said keeper openmgs.

i. A door knob and tubular spindle assembly comprising a knob having a neck adapted to slidably fit over a tubular spindle, said neck being provided with a neck keeper opening; a tubular spindle having a keeper opening disposed to coincide with said neck keeper opening; a keeper protruding through said spindle keeper opening, said keeper being pressed outwardly by an open ring spring disposed peripherally inside said spindle, the ends of said ring spring being bent outwardly; said spindle having elongated peripheral slots for said turned-out ends of said ring spring; and slot means on said spindle and boss means on said knob neck for aligning the said keeper openings.

5. The knob and tubular spindle assembly defined in claim 3, and an aligned pilot notch means on the edge portion of said knob neck, said pilot notch means being tapered to depress said keeper and guide it into said neck keeper opening.

ROBERT C. CERF, JR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Schlage Feb. 

